Latest in Oleg Sentsov

Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian filmmaker and activist whose latest feature was the 2021 Venice premiere Rhino, has released a full statement from the frontline of the war backing the boycott of Russian cinema. Scroll down to read it. The director, who spent five years in a Russian jail on terror charges that Amnesty…

The Stockholm Film Festival, due to run November 9-20, says it will not program any films that benefit from Russian state funding due to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. "That decision is regrettable but a necessary mark in a time like this. Russia’s actions are unacceptable," said Beatrice Karlsson, program…

As the people of Ukraine wake up to the reality of war, many of the country's top filmmakers and industry professionals have issued statements pleading for international intervention. Those contributing include Oleg Sentsov, the director and activist who spent years in Russian jail on charges that Amnesty…

The Berlin International Film Festival (February 20 – March 1) continues to add to its 2020 line-up, with new titles today unveiled for its Panorama and Berlinale Special programs. Joining the Panorama line-up is Bassam Tariq's Mogul Mowgli (previously Mughal Mowgli), starring Riz Ahmed as a young Brit rapper who is…

After more than five years of detention, and calls from international artists groups and governments, Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov was freed from a Russian prison today. In what has long been seen as an unjust situation, Sentsov was convicted in 2015 of plotting terrorist attacks and sentenced to 20 years after…

Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Russia on a terrorism conviction, has reportedly ended his hunger strike after 145 days. The update was given Friday morning by Valery Maksimenko, deputy director of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). “Yes, he stopped his hunger strike,&#8221…

The European Film Academy on Friday again called for the immediate release from a Russian prison of Ukranian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov who has been on a hunger strike for more than 50 days. France’s Société des Réalisateurs de Films, which organizes the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival, has also…

Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov is in “severe danger” in the eighth week of his hunger strike, according to the European Film Academy. On day 54 of his indefinite hunger strike, the European film network has again called for his immediate release. At their annual meeting during the Karlovy Vary International Film…

Oleg Sentsov, the Ukraine filmmaker who was convicted in 2015 of plotting terrorist attacks and sentenced to 20 years in a Russian prison, is on day 24 of a hunger strike as artists and activists around the world continue to rally for his cause. Supporters demanding Sentsov's release include PEN America and the Europea…

UPDATE, WRITETHRU: Maren Ade's father-daughter relationship dramedy, Toni Erdmann, scored a clean sweep at the European Film Awards tonight in Wroclaw, Poland. The movie, which is also Germany's entry for the Foreign Language Film Oscar, won in each of its categories: Best European Film, Director, Actor (Peter…

Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov has been found guilty by a Russian court on charges of terrorism and sentenced to 20 years detention. The prosecution in the case had called for a 23-year sentence. Sentsov, who has found support from the European filmmaking community since his arrest, is the helmer of 2011's Gaamer. He…

UPDATE, 9:04 AM: Earlier this month, film director Oleg Sentsov’s defense caught what looked like a break when a key prosecution witness retracted his testimony, saying it had been given under duress — yet the trial is due to resume tomorrow after a pause in the proceedings. Detained for more than a year, the…